Gov Peter Obi,El Rufai In War of Words Over His Administration's Rating

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra has reacted to Nasir El-Rufa'i comments that the state was educationally backward, suffered from poor infrastructural development, and remained the poorest in the country.

Obi said the former FCT minister spoke in ignorance.

It will be recalled that ‪El Rufai, last week, said the governor’s achievements were not meeting the aspirations of Anambra state’s citizenry.

‪“Obi has a BA degree in Philosophy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1984) and enjoys the title of being the youngest Chairman of Fidelity Bank,” he said.

“Considering Obi’s career achievements, and the fact that he has been to the Supreme Court successfully three times to reclaim his electoral mandate, the people had high hopes that he would improve on the stellar performance of Ngige. Sadly, this has not been the case, as his administration has seen increasing crime rates, infrastructure deficits, a number of strikes over minimum wage, higher tax burdens and exodus of elites, among other challenges.”

‪But Obi, who extolled his administration’s achievements in the last six years, said he elevated the state from a near zero situation and laid a proper foundation for economic growth.

‪The governor added that only those who had been to the state, and who had prior knowledge of the state’s recent history would know.

‪“I am surprised that somebody I am not sure has been to Anambra State, even as a minister, comments about the state from the point of view of what I consider as pure, unadulterated ignorance,” he said.

“It is an insult to the Igbo race to openly or even remotely suggest that any part of Igbo land is the poorest in the country. This negates our resourcefulness and ingenuity as a people.

‪“Honestly, I do not know what propels him or what interest he is protecting. We need people to help to assess and validate what we’re doing. We’re on course and we’re doing the right things.”

‪Obi also listed his administration’s achievements in the handover of schools to missionaries and sport development, before claiming his administration is steering the state towards glory.

‪“The handover of schools to their former missionary owners and the take-off grant of N6bn for their infrastructural development is a feat that was replicated in the health sector with handover of hospitals," he said.

‪“On sports development, the state’s fortunes have been witnessing a steady rise in recent years at sports festivals, due to government’s conscious sports development strategy aimed at spotting and grooming young talents to stardom.

‪“Our emphasis is on the youth not on adults and we’re marching towards a situation where the state will recapture its lost glory.”